Folding crate.



No. 780.471. PATETBD JAN. 1'7, 1905.

A. A. BAKKB.

FOLDING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

3114 dan to@ Wilnzowo PATENTEDJAN. 17, 1005. A. A. BAKKB.

FULDING CRATE.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JUNE 1o. 1004.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2` Uff/7.15m? e.

Patented January 1'?, 1905.

PATENT OEEIOE.

. ANTON A. BAKKE, OE EENTON, IOWA.

FOLDING CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,471, dated January 17, 1905.

i Application filed Tune I0, 1904. Serial No. 212,011.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTON A. BAKKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fenton, in the county of Kossuth, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Crates; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same..

This invention relates to crates, and more particularly to those designed for use in shipping eggs and similar articles, and has for. its object to provide a crate which when empty may be folded into small compass and which may be quickly unfolded when desired.

A further object is to provide a construction in which the crate will be prevented from accidentally collapsing when unfolded, another object being to provide a crate which may be simply and cheaply constructed.

A still further object is to provide acrate which will be thoroughly braced and which will be so constructed that the several portions thereof will not be readily disconnected through hard usage.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, and it will be understood that modifications of the specific construction shown and described may be made, and any suitable materials may be used without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, 4and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lcrate. Fig. 2 is an end'view. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section Online 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig.

.4 is a top plan view of the crate with the cover removed. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the crate folded. Fig. 6 isa detail view showing the manner of hinging the partition to the bottom of the crate.

Referring now to the drawings, the present Invention comprises a bottom portion 6, includmg side walls 7 and 8 and end walls 9 and 10 and having longitudinally-extending semicylindrical braces 11 secured to the under face of its bottom 12, adjacent to the edges thereof plemental walls 14, which-arevmovable to lie in a plane with their respective side walls or to extend inwardly therefrom and to lie one upon another, as shown in Fig. 5.

Secured to the upper face of the bottom 12, adjacent to the ends thereof, are pairs ofhinges 15 and 16, which are also secured to end pieces 17 and 18, which are movable upon the hinges to lie against the upper face of the bottom 12 or to extend upwardly therefrom and to lie against the inner faces of the end walls 9 and 10 of the bottom portion, in which position they extend upwardly thereabove and lie with their outer end edges iush with the free side edges ofthe supplemental Walls walls vand lying against the inner faces of the end pieces '17 and 18.

Formedthrough the bottom 12 vof the bottom portion, adjacent to either side thereof, is

a pair of perforations 22, one perforation of each pair being disposed at either side of the central transverse axis of the bottom, and formed through the braces 11 are perforations 11, which aline with the pairs of perforations 22 for the reception of the spaced legs 23 of staples 24, the bights 25 of which extend above the upper face of the bottom and are engaged in perforations 26 adjacent to the lower edge of a transverse central partition 27 ,which is thus movable upon the staples to extendV at rightl angles from the bottom or to lie thereagainst. Secured transversely of the side walls 14:

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are spaced members 28 and 29, which are disposed to receive the edges of the partition 27 therebetween when the latter is in upright position, these spaced members 28 and 29 being formed from a single piece of metal which is bent transversely into U shape. Through the spaced members 28 and 29 are formed perforations 30 and 31, which aline with each other, as shown, and formed through the eentral partition 27 are perforations 27', which aline with the perforations 30 and 31 when the edges of the partition are engaged between the spaced members 28 and 29, these alining perforations being arranged for the reception of pins 32 to hold the several parts in position when the crate is unfolded.

Secured to the outer faces of the end pieces 17 and 18 are cleats 33, which serve as handles by which the crate may be carried, and secured between the cleats and the end pieces are the lower ends of spring-tongues 34,which extend upwardly and have their free end portions turned outwardly, as shown, the end pieces 17 and 18 being provided with openings 35 therein arranged for the movement of the upper portions of the tongues therethrough to bring the ends of the outwardly-turned porn tions Hush with the outer faces of the end pieces.

A cover 36 is provided having depending side and end walls 37 and 38, which are arranged to lie against the outer faces of the supplemental walls 14 and the end pieces 17 and 18, respectively, when the cover is in operative position, the depending end walls 38 being provided with longitudinal slots 39 for engagement by the outwardly-turned portions of the spring-tongues 34 to hold the cover in 'position, though it will be understood that the tongues may be moved as mentioned above to disengage their outwardly-turned portions from the slots.

In folding the crate the pins 32 are disengaged from the alining perforations 30, 31, and 27', and the supplemental walls are moved outwardly to disengage the spaced members from the partition 27 when the latter is moved to lie against the upper face of the bottom 12. The outward movement of the supplemental walls also disengages the angular end portions 29 and the angular portions 21 of the plates 2O from the end pieces, thus permitting movement of the end pieces upon their hinges to lie upon the upper face of the bottom, after which the supplemental walls are folded inwardly to lie one upon another, as shown, and the top 36 is engaged with the walls of the bottom portion, the end walls 38 of the cover having hasps 40 thereon for engagement with staples 41, carried by the end walls of the bottom portion to hold the cover upon the bottom portion, it being understood that suit- .able locks are engaged with the staples.

The hinges 15 and 16 are secured to the bottom 12 by means of bolts 16, which are passed through perforations in the bottom and alining perforations in the braces 11, so that these bolts, together with the legs 23 of the staple 24, hold the braces in position, it being understood that the ends of the legs 23 are headed over against the outer faces of the braces.

What is claimed isE 1. vA folding crate comprising a bottom,up wardly-extending side and end walls secured thereto, supplemental walls hinged to the upper edges of the side walls for movement to form continuations thereof, or to lie at right angles thereto above the bottom, braces disposed against the under face of the bottom, hinges disposed with one leaf upon the bottom, bolts passed through said leaves, the bottom and braces to hold the hinges and braces in position, end pieces secured to the remaining leaves of the hinges and arranged for movement to lie against the bottom or to extend upwardly therefrom and against the end walls, a partition hinged to the bottom between the ends thereof, and plates bent to form spaced members, and connecting-webs disposed transversely of the supplemental walls with their webs thereagainst, .said plates being disposed for the reception of the edges of the end pieces and the partition between their spaced portions.

2. Afolding crate comprising a bottom having braces disposed against its under face, side walls connected with the bottom for movement to extend upwardly therefrom,or to lie parallel therewith, perforations formed through the bottom and through the braces, hinges disposed with one leaf upon the bottom and having openings through said leaves` and in alinement with the perforations, bolts engaged with the alining perforations and openings, end pieces secured to the remaining leaves of the hinges and arranged for movement to lie against the bottom or to extend upwardly therefrom, alining perforations formed through the bottom and braces between the ends thereof, staples engaged in the perforations and having the free ends of the legs secured against the outer faces of the braces, the bights extending above the bottom, a partition having perforations therethrough with which the bights of the staples are engaged, said partition being arranged for movement to extend upwardly from the bottom, or to lie thereagainst, means for holding the several portions in their upwardly-cxtending positions, and a closure for the crate.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANTON A. BAKKE.

Witnesses:

HENRY E. Rnuinns, H. W. ln'rTIBoNn.

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